It was early in the morning when Greenlee woke up. She tiptoed into
the bathroom as not to wake Jake. She had figured that he could use the
rest, work could wait. As for Greenlee, however, Giovanna had called her
into an early meeting to discuss the spring color line. As much as Greenlee
didn't want to leave Jake, she did enjoy being up before he left for work
in the morning.
Greenlee jumped quickly into the shower. The warm water felt relaxing as it ran over her body. She thought of nothing as she massaged the shampoo into her hair and then rinsed it out. Normally, Greenlee would take her time in the morning, but not today. She was in and out in ten minutes, wrapping herself in a large towel as she stepped out of the bathroom and crept quietly back passed sleeping Jake.
Greenlee dug through the closet, pulling out the first matching skirt and top she came upon, and draped them over her arm.
"That color towel looks great on you," Jake said as Greenlee turned quickly.
"Did I wake you up?" Greenlee asked.
"No," Jake said, pushing himself up in bed. "I have to go to work anyway." He swung his feet off the end of the bed and brought his hand up to rub his chest, close to his left shoulder as he stood.
"Are you OK?" Greenlee asked.
"Yeah, just a cramp." Jake made his way to the closet beside Greenlee. She rested her head up against the soft skin of his chest. "You didn't tell me," Jake continued after kissing the top of Greenlee's wet head. "Why are you up so early?"
"Giovanna," Greenlee said, walking back out of Jake's view to begin changing into her clothes. "Don't even ask. She would be lost without me. The new spring line needs to be set, we need to work up new advertising layout..."
"I'll stick to medicine."
"You never did strike me as a blush and eyeshadow guy." She smiled and waited for a witty response, but there was none. "Jake? What is it, what's wrong?"
"Nothing!" Jake raised his voice. "There's nothing wrong!" Jake paused, looking at the shocked look on Greenlee's face. "Oh, Greenlee," he said. "Greenlee, I'm sorry." He started towards her, but she pulled away.
"I have to go to work," Greenlee said, still in shock by Jake's demeanor. She slowly turned and walked out of the room. Jake followed her.
"Greenlee," Jake begged.
"I'll call later," Greenlee said, grabbing her jacket and heading for the door. "Maybe then you'll be in a better mood."
Greenlee exited, slamming the door as she did, leaving Jake standing alone in the apartment.
"How long do you think it's going to take?" Tad asked the service station attendant as he watched his car get parked behind the garage.
"There are a lot of people before you today," the attendant said. "Tomorrow's Sunday...Mechanics are off on Sunday. Maybe Monday or Tuesday."
"So, hold on a minute," Tad said shaking his head. "Let me get this straight. It's Saturday morning and I might not get my car back until Monday?"
"Or Tuesday."
"For a ding and a headlight?!"
"I'm sorry, sir, you didn't have an appointment."
"I feel like I'm at the dentist or something."
"Can I get some help over here?" Tad knew that distressed voice.
"Greenlee?" Tad approached her. "What happened?" Greenlee didn't say a word, but fell in his arms, weeping. "It's OK," Tad said. "Come on, it can't be that bad." Greenlee didn't stop crying. "Or can it?"
"I'm sorry," Greenlee wiped her eyes.
"You don't have anything to be sorry about," Tad told her. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong? Is it Jake? Did something happen with you two?"
"Oh, Tad," Greenlee began. "That's just the beginning of it. I haven't even got to work yet and my day is a disaster. My car runs out of gas. I'm going to lose my job with Giovanna if I don't make this meeting and Jake..."
"Did you have a fight? Is that what has you so upset?"
"He's hiding something. He's hiding something bigger than anything we could imagine. And it doesn't have anything to do with Christmas or him proposing. I know it doesn't. Something's wrong. I just know something's wrong. I have that feeling in my gut and I'm...I'm scared, Tad."
Tad held Greenlee close, comforting her. "What if I talked to him? We're brothers, maybe I can get to the bottom of this."
"Would you?" Greenlee sniffled.
"Of course I would," Tad assured her. "Of course. Let's get a hold of the matter at hand here first, OK. We'll get your car filled up and get you off to work so Giovanna Cosmetics doesn't go under. Then I'll go rent myself a car and get down to the hospital to talk to Jake. How does that sound?" Greenlee nodded. "Alright then. Let's go."
Greenlee wiped her eyes again. "Why are you here anyway?" she asked him.
"Car accident."
"Oh my God, is everyone OK?"
"Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Jamie took out a stop sign. I guess he was just a little excited about the whole license thing." Tad paused. "But do me a favor, Greenlee. Brooke doesn't know it was Jamie's fault she thinks it was me."
"Oh, don't worry I won't tell Brooke." Tad was glad to see a little bit of a smile start to show on Greenlee's face as he began to help her on her way.
"...Yeah, and just page me if there's an emergency. Thanks, Gwen." Jake hung up the phone and proceeded back towards the sofa and sat. Laying out in front of him was the paper from the day before, flattened out to get rid of a few of the wrinkles. Jake reached out to touch it, but didn't. He just wanted to take that paper and tear it into pieces. Maybe by doing that, all of this would end.
A knock at the door shook Jake from his trance like state. He stood and walked over, swinging it inward.
"Tad," Jake said, moving aside, allowing him to enter. "I didn't expect to see you here this morning."
"Likewise," Tad said. "Greenlee told me you were going to work, but the hospital told me you called in sick or something."
"You saw Greenlee?"
Tad walked passed him and Jake closed the door. Spinning around to face him, Tad spoke. "Now, I'm going to ask you straight out, and pardon my bluntness, but what the hell is going on with you?"
"Excuse me?"
"You might think you have everyone fooled, Jake, but you don't know how wrong you are."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jake walked back to the sofa and took a seat.
"You don't." Tad followed Jake, standing before him, face to face as he spoke. "Well let me try to make it a little more clear for you. Greenlee, your roommate, your girlfriend, remember her?"
"I don't need your sarcasm, Tad."
"And she doesn't need you lying to her, Jake...and neither do I. We grew up together. We spent time together that nobody but brothers could even imagine. Now not only does she know when something's wrong, I do to." Tad paused, waiting for Jake's response, but then continued. "Whatever this is that you're hiding from us, whatever it is, it's tearing Greenlee apart inside. If you love her like you say you love her...and I know you do, why don't you just come clean?"
"It's not as easy as that."
"He speaks," Tad exclaimed. "Good, now we're getting somewhere. Why don't you just tell me what's up? Maybe I could help."
"No, I don't think you can."
"Why don't you give it a shot"
"Do you want to know?" Jake's voice increased in volume. "Do you really want to know what's wrong? Then I'll tell you, Tad."
Greenlee jumped quickly into the shower. The warm water felt relaxing as it ran over her body. She thought of nothing as she massaged the shampoo into her hair and then rinsed it out. Normally, Greenlee would take her time in the morning, but not today. She was in and out in ten minutes, wrapping herself in a large towel as she stepped out of the bathroom and crept quietly back passed sleeping Jake.
Greenlee dug through the closet, pulling out the first matching skirt and top she came upon, and draped them over her arm.
"That color towel looks great on you," Jake said as Greenlee turned quickly.
"Did I wake you up?" Greenlee asked.
"No," Jake said, pushing himself up in bed. "I have to go to work anyway." He swung his feet off the end of the bed and brought his hand up to rub his chest, close to his left shoulder as he stood.
"Are you OK?" Greenlee asked.
"Yeah, just a cramp." Jake made his way to the closet beside Greenlee. She rested her head up against the soft skin of his chest. "You didn't tell me," Jake continued after kissing the top of Greenlee's wet head. "Why are you up so early?"
"Giovanna," Greenlee said, walking back out of Jake's view to begin changing into her clothes. "Don't even ask. She would be lost without me. The new spring line needs to be set, we need to work up new advertising layout..."
"I'll stick to medicine."
"You never did strike me as a blush and eyeshadow guy." She smiled and waited for a witty response, but there was none. "Jake? What is it, what's wrong?"
"Nothing!" Jake raised his voice. "There's nothing wrong!" Jake paused, looking at the shocked look on Greenlee's face. "Oh, Greenlee," he said. "Greenlee, I'm sorry." He started towards her, but she pulled away.
"I have to go to work," Greenlee said, still in shock by Jake's demeanor. She slowly turned and walked out of the room. Jake followed her.
"Greenlee," Jake begged.
"I'll call later," Greenlee said, grabbing her jacket and heading for the door. "Maybe then you'll be in a better mood."
Greenlee exited, slamming the door as she did, leaving Jake standing alone in the apartment.
"How long do you think it's going to take?" Tad asked the service station attendant as he watched his car get parked behind the garage.
"There are a lot of people before you today," the attendant said. "Tomorrow's Sunday...Mechanics are off on Sunday. Maybe Monday or Tuesday."
"So, hold on a minute," Tad said shaking his head. "Let me get this straight. It's Saturday morning and I might not get my car back until Monday?"
"Or Tuesday."
"For a ding and a headlight?!"
"I'm sorry, sir, you didn't have an appointment."
"I feel like I'm at the dentist or something."
"Can I get some help over here?" Tad knew that distressed voice.
"Greenlee?" Tad approached her. "What happened?" Greenlee didn't say a word, but fell in his arms, weeping. "It's OK," Tad said. "Come on, it can't be that bad." Greenlee didn't stop crying. "Or can it?"
"I'm sorry," Greenlee wiped her eyes.
"You don't have anything to be sorry about," Tad told her. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong? Is it Jake? Did something happen with you two?"
"Oh, Tad," Greenlee began. "That's just the beginning of it. I haven't even got to work yet and my day is a disaster. My car runs out of gas. I'm going to lose my job with Giovanna if I don't make this meeting and Jake..."
"Did you have a fight? Is that what has you so upset?"
"He's hiding something. He's hiding something bigger than anything we could imagine. And it doesn't have anything to do with Christmas or him proposing. I know it doesn't. Something's wrong. I just know something's wrong. I have that feeling in my gut and I'm...I'm scared, Tad."
Tad held Greenlee close, comforting her. "What if I talked to him? We're brothers, maybe I can get to the bottom of this."
"Would you?" Greenlee sniffled.
"Of course I would," Tad assured her. "Of course. Let's get a hold of the matter at hand here first, OK. We'll get your car filled up and get you off to work so Giovanna Cosmetics doesn't go under. Then I'll go rent myself a car and get down to the hospital to talk to Jake. How does that sound?" Greenlee nodded. "Alright then. Let's go."
Greenlee wiped her eyes again. "Why are you here anyway?" she asked him.
"Car accident."
"Oh my God, is everyone OK?"
"Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Jamie took out a stop sign. I guess he was just a little excited about the whole license thing." Tad paused. "But do me a favor, Greenlee. Brooke doesn't know it was Jamie's fault she thinks it was me."
"Oh, don't worry I won't tell Brooke." Tad was glad to see a little bit of a smile start to show on Greenlee's face as he began to help her on her way.
"...Yeah, and just page me if there's an emergency. Thanks, Gwen." Jake hung up the phone and proceeded back towards the sofa and sat. Laying out in front of him was the paper from the day before, flattened out to get rid of a few of the wrinkles. Jake reached out to touch it, but didn't. He just wanted to take that paper and tear it into pieces. Maybe by doing that, all of this would end.
A knock at the door shook Jake from his trance like state. He stood and walked over, swinging it inward.
"Tad," Jake said, moving aside, allowing him to enter. "I didn't expect to see you here this morning."
"Likewise," Tad said. "Greenlee told me you were going to work, but the hospital told me you called in sick or something."
"You saw Greenlee?"
Tad walked passed him and Jake closed the door. Spinning around to face him, Tad spoke. "Now, I'm going to ask you straight out, and pardon my bluntness, but what the hell is going on with you?"
"Excuse me?"
"You might think you have everyone fooled, Jake, but you don't know how wrong you are."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jake walked back to the sofa and took a seat.
"You don't." Tad followed Jake, standing before him, face to face as he spoke. "Well let me try to make it a little more clear for you. Greenlee, your roommate, your girlfriend, remember her?"
"I don't need your sarcasm, Tad."
"And she doesn't need you lying to her, Jake...and neither do I. We grew up together. We spent time together that nobody but brothers could even imagine. Now not only does she know when something's wrong, I do to." Tad paused, waiting for Jake's response, but then continued. "Whatever this is that you're hiding from us, whatever it is, it's tearing Greenlee apart inside. If you love her like you say you love her...and I know you do, why don't you just come clean?"
"It's not as easy as that."
"He speaks," Tad exclaimed. "Good, now we're getting somewhere. Why don't you just tell me what's up? Maybe I could help."
"No, I don't think you can."
"Why don't you give it a shot"
"Do you want to know?" Jake's voice increased in volume. "Do you really want to know what's wrong? Then I'll tell you, Tad."